ABOUT THE MATCH

St Lucia Zouks’ first home game of the 2019 Caribbean Premier League pits them against the other team yet to play at home so far Barbados Tridents. The match, at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, Gros Islet, takes place on September 20.

The Zouks have won one and lost three so far, with Rahkeem Cornwall blasting them to victory in their lone win. They come into this game looking to bounce back from a below-par batting display as they lost to St Kitts & Nevis Patriots last time out.

Barbados Tridents, meanwhile, beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots but also lost their last game after falling short with the bat. The Tridents’ defeat to Jamaica Tallawahs keeps them in the bottom two, with one win and two defeats, after they finished bottom last season.

TOSS PREDICTION

St Lucia Zouks lost the toss for the first time this season in their last game. If they win on home soil, they may look to field first as tends to be the norm.

PITCH AND CONDITIONS

There is a chance of showers later in the evening, with humidity high all day, but the Zouks and the Tridents might just avoid the worst of it. Temperatures will barely have dropped below 28 degrees Celsius even through the evening.

This is the first match of the 2019 tournament to be played at Gros Islet, but there is a reason to believe the pitch will play any differently to other times plenty of pace and bounce for the quick men but a lightning-fast outfield to encourage the batsmen too.

PROBABLE PLAYING XI OF St Lucia Zouks

Andre Fletcher (wk), Rahkeem Cornwall, John Campbell, Colin de Grandhomme, Darren Sammy (c), Roland Cato, Thisara Perera, Kesrick Williams, Obed McCoy, Hardus Viljoen, Fawad Ahmed

PROBABLE PLAYING XI OF Barbados Tridents

Johnson Charles, Leniko Boucher (wk), JP Duminy, Jonathan Carter, Jason Holder (c), Ashley Nurse, Roshon Primus, Chemar Holder, Hayden Walsh, Josh Lalor, Sandeep Lamichhane

MATCH PREVIEW

St Lucia Zouks

  • In the only change from the win against Jamaica Tallawahs, Kavem Hodge replaced John Campbell last time out.
  • Campbell could return if fit, this time out in CPL 2019.
  • After defeats to Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders, St Lucia Zouks got off the mark after Rahkeem Cornwall smashed 75 from 30 balls in a five-wicket defeat of Jamaica Tallawahs, chasing 171.
  • The Zouks could not back it up though, posting just 138/9 against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.
  • The Patriots needed just 14.5 overs in reply to seal a six-wicket win.

Barbados Tridents

  • Barbados Tridents were unchanged last time out after their win against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, but they will be forced into at least one change this time Alex Hales having returned to England for the T20 Blast Finals Day.
  • Shai Hope is yet to feature as he recovers from a hand injury, otherwise he would have been an ideal replacement.
  • Barbados Tridents’ lone win so far has been sandwiched by defeats to Guyana Amazon Warriors and Jamaica Tallawahs.
  • They were bowled out for 133 against the former and struggled to 140/9 before losing their most recent game by four wickets.
  • In between, however, things clicked as Johnson Charles (52), Leniko Boucher (62*) and JP Duminy (43*) powered the Tridents to 186/2 against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots before Sandeep Lamichhane’s 3-22 helped restrict them to 168/9.

PROBABLE WINNING TEAM:

Barbados Tridents and St Lucia Zouks have not yet come into form as they gear up for their home fixtures, but the Zouks on home soil can get an important victory here.

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